Thank a goat for that cup of coffee!



A Keurig coffee maker.

 If you are like me, no morning is complete without a good ol' hot cup of coffee. I have a detailed mental list of what to save should the house ever catch fire. No surprise the Keurig makes the top ten. We even took it along on vacation last year like a beloved family pet. In case you've never heard of them, a Keurig is a single cup coffee maker for home use.



I get up every morning between 5 and 5:30 with Allen and brew us each a fresh cup of coffee. He goes off to work and I cram in as many chores as I can before the kids wake up. Our entire morning routine revolves around that first eye opening cup of joe. Never in a million years would I have equated coffee with my cloven hooved, entertaining friend...the goat.  



The berries are called "coffee cherries".



Goats discovered coffee. Yes, goats! Actually, they discovered the energizing effects of the coffee berry. The 600 year old legend hails from Ethiopia and a goat herdsman named Kaldi. One day he noticed that his goats became energized and alert after eating bright red berries from a local tree. Curious of this effect, he ate some of the berries too. And to his amazement they had the same effect on him.



Kaldi and his goats.



Convinced the berries had miraculous powers, Kaldi took them to the local monastery for the monks to see. At first, they condemned the berries as a work of the devil and threw them in the fireplace. As the berries began to roast, that oh so alluring fragrance filled the monastery. Compelled by the aroma, the monks decided to pull the roasted berries from the fire and preserve them in hot water. Soon the curious monks had sampled the resulting 'coffee' and discovered its awakening powers. It then became a nightly ritual to sip on the brew to keep them alert during their night time prayers.

At least that's how the legend goes. I suppose coffee is somewhere between a 'miracle' and the 'devils work', at least in our house. All is 'glorious' after that first cup, and 'damned' if we run out!

Here is a link to the coffee legend, http://www.beanthere.co.za/discover/history/kaldis-coffee-discovery